05 July 2017

PYONGYANG, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) declared Tuesday that it has successfully launched an international ballistic missile (ICBM) on the same day, hailing it as the "final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force."

The DPRK lauded the launch of the ICBM as a historic event in boosting its defense capabilities to counter the threats of the United States.

The Korean Central Television reported in a special program that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un signed the order to carry out the test-fire of the ICBM Hwasong-14 on Monday and personally conducted the launch, before "declaring before the world its shining success."

The DPRK Academy of Defense Science said the missile blasted off from the northwestern part of the DPRK at 09:00 a.m. (0030 GMT) Tuesday to make a 39-minute flight along its pre-set trajectory before accurately hitting the target waters in the open sea in the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan), according to the Korean Central News Agency.